Reducing waste during the holidays with our Reusables at Events and Venues Incentive Program
A happy participant in our All-Electric Building Pilot program shows off her new heat pumps.
Trees waiting to be planted in our heat vulnerable neighborhoods.
The happy recipient of our Certifiably Green Denver Mini Grant shows off the reusable mugs they now offer
Denver Public School students gather under their new Solar Outdoor Learning canopy.
Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) is eliminating pollution and building an economy that benefits all of Denver’s communities.
Climate change affects us all, some more than others. That’s why we partner with communities to reduce pollution and create ways to adapt and thrive in the face of a changing environment. Using human-centered design as our guiding principle, we directly engage with the community to learn how we can remove barriers that can get in the way of a higher quality of life.
It is our priority to engage every Denverite to be a part of climate solutions. This way, Denver will be vibrant and prosperous for generations to come.
Our Mission: The climate crisis is solvable. Together, we are the ones to solve it.
Our Vision: Together we build a carbon pollution-free, sustainable and climate-resilient Denver for all.
On November 3, 2020, Denverites overwhelmingly passed Ballot Initiative 2A. This raised the local sales and use tax by 0.25% and created the Climate Protection Fund (CPF).The CPF raises at least $40M every year to take urgent action to mitigate the causes of climate change. Our goal is that over half of this fund goes to communities in Denver most harmed by climate change impacts. This includes low-income and disadvantaged communities, people living with chronic health conditions, babies, children, and older adults.
Where Did the CPF Come From?
In Colorado, voters must approve all tax initiatives. Cities and the state cannot raise tax rates without voter approval.
In early 2019, a local grassroots organization got an energy tax on the 2019 ballot. The tax would have been based on natural gas usage of Denver's Xcel Energy customers. Through conversations with Mayor Hancock, the organization tabled the ballot measure. This gave the city time to create a Climate Action Task Force. These conversations also led to CASR's formation.
Mayor Hancock appointed members of the public to be part of the Climate Action Task Force. They explored different ways to raise funding to support climate action in Denver. The consensus was that a sales tax would be more equitable than a tax based on energy consumption.
The Task Force presented its recommendations to the City Council in August 2020. The same month the Council President sponsored Council Bill 20-0684. This bill put the recommended sales tax on the November 2020 Ballot. The bill passed the City Council on a vote of 11-2 and became Ballot Measure 2A.
How Can We Use the CPF?
We can use The Climate Protection Fund can six ways:
- Green Jobs: Training people for jobs in clean energy and transportation. These programs focus on helping people from low-income communities.
- Clean Energy: Investing in solar power, renewable energy, and battery storage. The goal is 100% renewable energy in Denver by 2050.
- Environmental Justice: Supporting neighborhood programs so all can thrive. These programs make sure all voices are part of climate decisions.
- Adaptation and Resiliency: Helping communities get ready for the effects of climate change.
- Sustainable Transportation: Offering clean, safe, and affordable ways to travel. This includes walking, biking, buses, electric cars, and local transit.
- Better Buildings: Making Denver’s buildings energy-efficient, safe, and comfortable. Our goal is all-electric buildings in the future.
In 2020, CASR released a plan(PDF, 8MB) detailing how it would use the CPF during its first five years. That plan will be updated and approved in 2025.
The Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) is an agency of the City and County of Denver and will make public records available in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”), Colorado Revised Statutes §24-72-201, et seq.
CASR follows the City and County of Denver’s CORA Fee Policy found here: denvergov.org/cora
Please read through the following information to determine if a CORA request is necessary, and if CASR is the appropriate agency to request documentation from.
CORA Request Requirements
Requests made under the Colorado Open Records Act must be made in writing and must include the following:
- Requestor’s full name, address and telephone number
- Subject matter to be searched in as descriptive terms as possible
- Dates of search
- Types of documents to be searched (email, written documents, reports, etc.)
- A statement that the request is made pursuant to the provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act, Colorado Revised Statutes §24-72-201, et seq.
If you are unable to provide a request in writing due to a disability, please contact the Denver Office for Disability Rights for assistance.
DisabilityAccess@denvergov.org
TTY: (720) 913-8475
Fax: (720) 913-8470
Public Solicitation Documentation
Staff will attempt to provide records in the form in which they are used by CASR. Generally, staff will not manipulate data to generate a record in another form with the exception of those specific elements in materials such as a public solicitation proposal administered by CASR where a proposal has been designated by the proposer as Business or Trade Secrets and plainly marked “Trade Secrets”, “Confidential”, “Proprietary”, or “Trade Secret.”
Scoring evaluations from a public solicitation are a deliberative process and privileged information. CASR shall withhold such documentation pursuant to the deliberative process privilege, and if necessary provide an affidavit asserting the privilege.
Contracts, Agreements and Ordinances
The Denver City Charter names the Office of the Clerk and Recorder as the official custodian for all contracts and agreements for the City and County of Denver. If you are requesting one of these documents please submit a CORA request to the Clerk and Recorder.
Office of the Clerk and Recorder
Call: 720-865-8400 or 311
clerkandrecorder@denvergov.org
Requests for records held by other city departments will be declined and customers will be referred to the department(s) believed to be custodians of the records.
If it is determined that a CORA request is necessary and CASR is the appropriate agency to request documentation from, please complete the form below:
Click here to view form.